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Menu Wars is where the class of Food Lit gets split into two teams and competes against each other like two restaurants. We create a restaurant and a name, then 7 courses that fit into that theme. I chose a fruit tart as the theme we wanted to continue with was inspired by spring. Every dish we served had to have fresh ingredients and had to make you feel renewed when you left.
The final product that was served to the judges.
Me helping to plate one of our earlier courses so they have time to set in the fridge.
I knew going into this project that I would have to help my teammates out. I have been the only one that has worked in a restaurant. Although I haven't been working in the kitchen, I do know how it's supposed to run. I was able to teach the steps of service, how to place down the plates, and how to ask to be cleared. I also knew going into this exactly what I wanted to make and how I wanted to be presented. I think I was the only one who knew exactly how I wanted my dish to turn out and I was able to help others with creating their vision too.
Unfortunately, I missed the first trial day of our recipes This left me a little confused on how the process would work out. I was also unsure of how my recipe would turn out because I had never made it before so I only had one trial practice to complete my recipe. At first, I turned in a regular fruit tart recipe and then I talked to Chef Gans and we discussed making it a little bit more complex. I had an idea to infuse the pastry cream with a Paris Tea blend. This added a little more complexity and uniqueness to my dish. I only had two times to try my dish. The first trial The Paris tea blend did not translate well into the pastry cream. We could hardly taste the flavor of the tea and it had an odd-looking color. We overall couldn't taste the tea so instead of doing a simple syrup mixture to dab on the fruit, I instead made a tea-infused simple syrup to enhance the flavor of the tea. I have to make this up on the spot. I know from previous experiences that simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar. so instead of regular water, I did hot water infused with tea to be able to then put it on the stove. I still have simple syrup left over so I didn't have to make it a second time for the real production day. I still have some and it is easy to put into different types of drinks or to use again on fruit. Once I figured out the simple syrup situation I rushed to serve it and had to call it a day. Although it had the presentation I was looking for, it fell short in other aspects. I had to come up with a way to be able to make it perfect. I spent a lot of time thinking over what I could add or take away, I trial-tested small aspects at home or in a free period. I also talked with Chef Gans about how we could improve the dish. Over the weekend I thought about what I could change in my production to be able for this to succeed.
Creaming the butter for the tart dough.
The first plating of the tarts that we chnaged.
Baking the tarts with pie weights.
The tea infused simple syrup.
On Tuesday, our prep day, I rushed to bake the tart crusts and also Infuse the pastry cream. It was a long process so I had to stay throughout my free time to be able to make sure it was exactly how I wanted it. Instead of my original recipe I added more tea into the milk and let it steep loose in the milk instead of putting it in a tea bag. I took my time making sure the milk was infused with tea just enough to have a delicate flavor and also give a little bit more color than my previous trial. This was a fine balance of steeping it for the correct amount of time but making sure not to boil the milk. I then had to figure out a way to strain the loose tea from the milk without giving it too much time to cool down so we could still cook the eggs in the pastry cream. I ran it through a strainer once right after coming off the stove and incorporated the milk into the egg mixture and then once when I took the pastry cream off the stove before I let it set.
My team took a long time to figure out the theme and presentation of our restaurant. We were basing it off of a local restaurant called Terrain where we wanted the same earthy freshness that they gave but a little bit more spring. We wanted something fresh and every single one of our dishes either included fruit herbs or leafy greens. We also came up with the idea of plating every dish with an edible flower. On Monday before the competition, two of our group members went to four different grocery stores to try and find edible flowers. Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything and we were about to give up on our idea. On Tuesday I had free time in the afternoon and I thought of going to a florist instead of a regular grocery store. They had edible orchids and I could choose three different colors a white one, a purple one, and a mix of purple and white in the petals. we were able to choose what flower fit. It was perfect. For example, one of our dishes was a grilled pineapple and bacon skewer which did not have a lot of color. so instead of putting a white orchid or a lighter-colored orchid, we chose to do a dark purple to contrast the pineapple. I found that the orchids were worth the price because they added a theme throughout all of our dishes that the judges could see. My thought process on my fruit tart was to make it look similar to a bouquet, a mix of colorful fruits and colorful flowers so it was almost like you were eating a bouquet. The orchids were a little big for the tarts in my opinion but I am happy with how the presentation was and how it panned out.
For the overall production, I rushed to finish my dish at the beginning and then I had to delegate what I needed to help with. As the only one in the group who has worked in the service industry, I knew how to be the expediter and how a kitchen should run. Me and Chef talked about this before the competition and how I would need to step up and make sure my group members understood timing and production rules as well as the steps of service. Before I even finished my tarts I had people asking me for I had to see who needed the most help and who had a little extra time on their hands although I may have been a little bit bossy my group members understood that I was competitive as they were also competitive and understood what they needed to do. Our first two or three dishes were cold so we could make them all in advance, plate them, and throw them into the walk-in ready for whenever we needed to serve them. This took off a lot of stress because then a lot of our dishes didn't need to come together to be served exactly at the same time.
The tart pans that were just filled with the pastry
The tarts that were filled and smoothed over so the berry could lay evenly.
The tarts that were freshly topped with berries.
There will only be two dishes that need to be hot, this proved to be a challenge as it needs to be ready at the exact time that it needs to be plated. I remember when it came to our main dish I had to tell two of our other group members to help out with the main dish. We had three people working on the same dish which was different compared to our practice run. Thankfully, since there was so much help, we got the dish out on time at the perfect time so it was hot being served. The second hot dish was right after our main dish. everything was cooked and prepared before it needed to be so we quickly threw it in the warmer so it would be hot when we served it. I was being asked when we should plate it and I had to figure out what was the best timing for this dish. Fortunately, my group members understood the difference of how plating a dish one minute before it should be plated could make the dish taste completely different. They all understood my advice so then it could be a group effort to play the dish and serve it before it got too cold.
After those two dishes were completed, we moved on to my tart. This was easy plating as I just took it off the baking sheet put it onto a plate and served it. stepping into the room with the judges I was proud to present my dish. I felt comfortable and like I could make a few jokes just like how I did when I was a server. I think it was a strong dish to end with after a very impressive Previous six courses. I was very proud of how my team could all group together to make a restaurant-worthy menu. Although I was competitive, I still reminded myself that it was a fun process even if we didn't win. I'm proud of my dish and plan to make it for future special occasions.
The final presentation of the bouquet of fruit.
Pastry Cream:
½ cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks, cold
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream (36% fat)
2 tablespoons salted butter, cold
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (double if extract)
1 Tbsp Paris tea blend
Tarts:
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
Simple syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup concentrated brewed paris tea
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, salt, and butter and cream together on medium speed just until combined (2-3 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add flour and mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated and dough comes together (1 minute). Transfer dough to a clean work surface and shape the dough into a flat disk. Press the dough into the tart pans. The dough should be about 1/4” thick on the bottom and sides of the pan.
Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the corners squarely. Flatten the finished top edge with your fingertips or trim the top edge with a paring knife so it sits flush in line with the top of the tart pan. Repurpose any scraps by patching any thin-looking areas. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Set the tart pan over a baking sheet to make it easier to transfer and Bake at 350˚F in the center of the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
WHISK: In a heatproof bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and sugar until creamy and pale yellow; approximately 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined.
SIMMER: Heat the milk, cream, and Tea blend, in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles start forming around the rim of the saucepan. Do not let the cream boil. Remove from heat. Gradually pour the hot cream in a steady stream into the egg mixture while the mixer runs until completely incorporated and smooth.
COOK: Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and then heat over medium-low heat whisking constantly. Add the vanilla paste (don’t add extract yet.) Allow the pastry cream to cook until it thickens; about 4-5 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Then stir in the butter and add vanilla extract (if using.) Press a sheet of plastic wrap over the surface of the pastry cream and make sure there aren’t any air bubbles between the cream and the plastic. This will keep the patisserie cream from developing a skin. Bring to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before piping. The filling can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
TARTS: Whisk the pastry cream with a hand mixer until smooth and airy. Pipe into prepared tart shells. Top with fresh berries as desired. Dab the fruit with the simple syrup using a pastry brush. I like to refrigerate the fruit tarts for 1 hour before serving, but this is optional
I found the tart recipe here.
I found the tart dough recipe here.
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